Screw driver attachment



July 2, 1940. J. N. PETRE 2,206,364

SCREW DRIVER ATTACHMENT Filed June 15, 1938 D t INVENTOR BY 4% ./am'f.WITNEESfi y ATTORNEYS Patented July 2 1940 Uni-rep STATES PATENT OFFICESCREW DRIVER ATTACHMENT Application June13, 1938, Serial No. 213,511

3 Claims.

The invention relates to a screw driver attachment and more especiallyto a screw holding screw driver.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a tool of thischaracter, wherein the runner or sleeve slidably fitting the shank ofsuch tool has interlocked with said runner or sleeve the arms of a pairof gripping members, these being engageable with a screw when the screwdriver is set thereto for the working of the screw home or its removalfrom a piece of work.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tool of thischaracter, wherein a fastener, such as a headed or non-headed screw, canbe firmly gripped and held to the work irrespective of the condition ofthe screw driver receiving notch or slot as provided therein so thatsuccessful operation of the tool may be had for the insertion or removalof the fastener of screw type into or from a piece of work.

A further objector the invention is the provision of a tool of thischaracter, wherein the runner or sleeve frictionally embracing the shankof the screw driver or the like will remain in place anywhere of themajor length of such shank so that the spring holder for the screw orthe like can be above, "below or exactly at the tip of the screw driver.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a tool ofthis character, which is extremely simple in construction, readily andeasily adjusted, thoroughly reliable and efiicient in operation,assuring the positive gripping of a screw or the like to be operatedupon by the tool, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

'With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention, andas pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing: 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a screw driver showing the attachmentconstructed in accordance with the invention and applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through theattachment asapplied to the screw driver shank.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the attachment showing the same carried bythe shank of the screw driver, the view being at a right angle to thatin Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but looking in a direction at aright angle thereto and the attachment being in an extended position onthe screw driver shank.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the attachment in aslightly retracted position gripping and holding a screw in operableengagement with the tip of the screw driver shank.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5 showing a further workingadjustment of the attachment.

Figure 7 is a sectional View on the line 1-1 of Figure 2 looking inthedirection of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the members of the attachment.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the runner or sleeve of theattachment.

' Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line Iii- 10 of Figure 4 lookingin the direction of the arrows. y

Similar reference characters indicate corre-- sponding parts throughoutthe several views in the drawing. I

Referring to the-drawing in detail, A designates generally a screwdriver of any conventional type having the usual shank Hi provided withthe screw-engaging tip II and carrying a handle l2. The shank H1 in thisinstance is of substantially square formation and cross sectionthroughout a major or greater portion of the length thereof.

Upon this screw driver is the screw holding attachment which comprises arunner or adjusting sleeve l3 slidably fitted to the shank IU of r thescrew driver A. This sleeve is preferably made from a single sheet metalblank bent to embrace the shank [0 of the screw driver, it being ofsubstantially rectangular shape in cross section throughout its lengthwhile at opposite sides of the shank ID of the screw driver within thesaid runner or sleeve I 3 are clearances for the arms M of gripping orholding jaws [5, these being inherently resilient. The arms M areprovided with outwardly turned terminaltongues or ears l6 which areaccommodated within receiving slots. I! cut into the runner or sleeve I3at opposite sides thereof and opening outwardly therefrom. These tonguesor cars l6 are held engaged in the slots 11 through the crowdingdispositon of the shank [0 when the sleeve or runner I 3 is fittedthereon. The arms M are preferably bulged or. bowed outwardly as at I8(see Figure 8) and when placed within the runner or'sleeve [3 these.portions l8 are tensioned for frictional action upon the shank ll! ofthe screw driver A which is inserted between them as shown in Figure 2so as to hold the runner or sleeve in slidably adjusted position on theshank.

The holding jaws l5 are outstruck from the arms M as at l9 and areprovided with inturned claw terminals 20 for cooperative grippingengagement with a screw 2| for the holding of the same in position to beacted upon by the tip ll of the shank H] of the screw driver in theworking of the screw home in apiece of work or outwardly therefrom.

The holding jaws l5 are susceptible ,of embracing the screw 2! atvarious points of its length and particularly for hooking action with ahead 22 of such screw for positively holding the latter in position tobe worked upon through the engagement of the screw driver tip II in the;slot 23 provided in the head 22 of said screw. These jaws l5 of theattachment also will serve to grip and hold a fastener. devoid of thehead but having a screw driver receiving slot for the engagement of thescrew driver therewith.

The attachment positively holds the screws or studs either wheninserting them in or removing them from a piece of work.

The arms l4 within the sleeve orrunner 13 will be positively interfittedtherewithby the ears or tongues I6 engaged in the slots l1, this beingeffected by the presence of the shank l0 within the said sleeve orrunner with the arms l4 disposed between the said shank and oppositeside walls of the runner or sleeve, The runner or sleeve is frictionallyheld on the shank I0 and will remain in any desired location on manualadjustment thereof. I r

l The interfitting of the arms l4 within thesleeve or runner l3 avoidsthe necessity of rivets or other like fastenershin the assembly of theattachment and in the connection of the arms with said runner or sleeve.

The holding jaws I5 at the gripping termina thereof may be of aformation-to cooperate with a screw driver which in cross section -isround, oval or fiat faced and similarly the runner can be shaped inconformity with the screwdriver at the shank thereof.

--The jaws are outwardly offset with relation to the runner receivingthe arms 14, these arms being outwardly bowed for the purposes herein.-before stated and the connecting portions l9 between the jaws proper andthe arms being preferably oblique as shown. This outwardly ofisetting;of the jaws is for the purpose of removing the flexing point of thespring from the point thereof exactly where it emerges from the run.-ner to the interior of the latter and thus overcoming spring breakage atsuch point.

By reason of the formation and proportionate transverse dimension of therunner l3, which loosely embraces the screw driver shank In, there isprovided suificient space for the arms M between the shankland thetwo'opposed walls of the runner to allow the flexing-action of thesearms throughout the entire extent thereof with the result that thespring in these arms is transferred from the point where the same emergefrom the runner. lflow due to the shape of the arms, that is to say, thebulges or bowed condition as at l8 wholly within the runner,there is notonly obtained frictional'action on theshank,but, as stated above, theflexing action of these arms is transferred to a point inside oftheru'nner. The arms id have a transverse line contact at their oppositeends with the shank of the/screw driver and a transverse line contactwith the runner intermediate their ends and these arms are freelyflexible throughout between their respective places of vcontact; withthe screw driver shank and runner where they are movable with frictionalresistance particularly when an outadjacent opposed sides of the shank,and a pair of cooperatively opposed resilient single-piece} jaw membersprojected forwardly from the forward end of said runner and havingscrew-retaining provision at their outer ends, said jaw members beingformed with integral arm extensions of substantially the same length asthe runner and offset inwardly therefrom at their inner ends andadjacent the forward end of the runner and extending respectively in theopposite longitudinal spaces between the screw driver shank and theadjacent opposed side portions of the runner, said arm extensions beingfastened at their rear ends to the adjacent end portions of the runnerand each arm extension being bowed outwardly with maximum originaloffset greater than the width of the space between the screw drivershank and the opposed sidewall of the runner, whereby, when assembled inthe attachment, to be placed under tension by compressive distortionthereof, the extensions will have in the region of their opposite ends atransverse line contact with the screw driver shank and intermediatetheir ends a transverse line contact with the adjacent opposed sideportions of the runner. r

2. An attachment for a screw driver having a conventional shank andscrew-engaging tip portion, said attachment comprising an elongatedopen-ended runner freely embracing and slidable longitudinally on thescrew driver shank, said runner having two parallel oppositelongitudinal side portions spaced throughout the length thereof from theadjacent opposed sides of the shank, and'a pair of cooperatively opposedresilient jaw members each formed from a single fiat strip and having aportion projected forwardly from the forward end of said runner andhaving screwretaining provision at its outer end, said jaws havingintegral arm extensions of substantially the same length as the runnerand inwardly offset therefrom at their inner ends and extendingrespectively with freedom of transverse movement in the oppositelongitudinal spaces between the screw driver shank and the adjacentside'portions of the runner, said arm extensions being fastened at theirrear ends to the adjacent'end portions of the runner and each armextension being bowed outwardly substantially from end to end thereofwith maximum original offset greater than the width of the space betweenthe screw driver shank and the opposed runner wall, whereby, whenassembled in the attachment, said arm extensions are placed undertension by compressive distortion thereof and have in the region oftheir opposite ends a transverse line contact with the screw drivershank and intermediate their ends a transverse line contact with theadjacent opposed side portions of the runner.

3. An attachment for a screw driver having a conventional shank andscrew-engaging tip portion, said attachment comprising a runnerireeiyembracing and slidable longitudinally on tire screw driver shank, saidrunner comprising an elongated open-ended tubular member of rectangularcross section having two opposite longitudinal side wall portions spacedthroughout the entire length thereof from the adjacent opposed sides ofthe shank, said side wall portions of the runner being aperturedadjacent the rear ends thereof, and a pair of cooperatively opposedresilient jaw members each formed from a single flat strip and having aportion projected forwardly from the forward end of said tubular runnermember and having screw-retaining provision at its outer end, said jawseach having an integral arm extension at its inner end of substantiallythe same length as the tubular runner member and offset inwardly fromthe jaw portion proper with an oblique connecting portion between thejaw portion proper and the arm extension, said arm extensions being eachbowed outwardly from end to end thereof with maximum original oiTs-etgreater than the width of I the space between the screw driver shank andthe opposed runner wall and formed with an outwardly turned rearterminal tongue, whereby, with said arm extensions inserted in therespective opposite longitudinal spaces between the screw driver shankand the adjacent opposed Walls of the tubular runner member and the rearterminal tongues of said resilient arm extensions interfitted in theapertured rear end portions of the runner member, said arm extensionsare placed under tension by compressive distortion thereof and heldagainst longitudinal movement at their rear terminals and have atransverse line contact with the screw driver shank adjacent both theirrear and forward terminals with their outwardly bowed portionsintermediate the terminals thereof in transverse line contact with theadjacent opposed wall portions of the tubular runner member.

JOHN N. PETRE.

